Bracing means for coke oven batteries



P. VAN ACKEREN 2,812,293

BRACING MEANS FOR COKE OVEN BATTERIES Nov. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 19, 1955 lulmliml Eilmnl Nov. 5, 1957 P. VAN ACKEREN 2,812,293

BRACING MEANS FOR COKE OVEN BATTERIES Filed Jan. 19, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BRCHNG MEANS FOR COKE OVEN BATTERIES Paul Van Ackeren, Essen, Germany, assiguor, by mesue assignments, to Koppers Company, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Applicau'on `tannini-y 19, 1955, Serial No. 482,897

9 Claims. (Cl. 202--268) The present invention relates to a coke oven battery with a lower structure which is of clay-bonded or other refractory material and an upper structure composed of silica, with the joint between these two structures running below the sole of the oven, buckstays extending over the lower and upper oven structures, and auxiliary bracing means for one of the two structuresrsupported `against these buckstays.

In a coke oven battery organization in which there is an upper structure of silica and a lower structure of clay-bonded material, and where the surfaces of the upper and lower structures along the longitudinal sides of the oven battery Iare flush before heating up commences, the greater rate of expansion of the former relatively to the clay-bonded material during the rise in temperature of the oven is taken care of by arranging auxiliary bracing means in the lower oven structure before heating commences, these means being supported against the buckstays which extend over the height of the oven and being adapted to compensate the lesser expansion of the clay-bonded material relatively to the silica.

To protect the upper part of the lower structure on which the upper part relatively slides during the differential expansion consequent upon heating up of the oven, by the considerable friction which develops, against a splitting or opening apart of the blocks or bricks of the masonry, in this known arrangement auxiliary ties are passed through the rich gas channels arranged ime mediately beneath the sole of the oven, and these ties are provided at both ends with adjustable nuts which are progressively loosened, in conformity with the expansion taking place, so that the masonry of the oven is continuously sustained and held under tension.

ln these known oven bracing arrangements the differential expansion of the upper and lower oven structures of diicerent materials is satisfactorily compensated when the upper structure is arranged on the lower structure at the level of the oven sole. It sometimes happens, however, that during the reconstruction or repair of coke oven batteries which comprise an upper structure of silica material mounted on a lower structure of clay-bonded material, or even of silica, some of the courses of bricks or blocks located beneath the sole of the oven, and for example incorporating `the rich gas channels, have to be renewed, and are then likewise contates Patent stituted of the same material as the whole of the upper of the oven cannot then be taken care of by 'auxiliary t,

ties which pass through the upper part of the clay-bonded of the tie.

2i lower oven structure and the upper part of the lower structure so as to retain the oven under tension.

It is an object of the invention to meet: this difliculty by the arrangement of auxiliary ties in the masonry between the oven sole and the joint separating the claybonded lower and the silica upper structures, such auxiliary ties being arranged to apply a tension, by means of nuts arranged at the ends of the ties, to thrust devices bearing on the one hand against the upper structure of the oven -and on the other hand to sustain the upper part of the masonry of the lower oven structure under tension.

Where the oven battery is equipped with horizontal rich gas channels located beneath the oven sole, the auxiliary ties are initially passed through these rich gas channels, which are located in the zone of the silica material, and are removed again from these channels after heating up has occurred.

In accordance with a further object of the invention, the thrust devices are arranged see-saw fashion so that they are self-adjusting in inclination 'to conform with the differential expansion of the contrasted materials of the battery, without subjecting the auxiliary ties to bending stresses.

lt is preferred that each thrust device shall have one arm which is applied against the upper oven structure and that this arm shall bear against the corresponding oven door frame which, in turn, is applied against the armouring of the oven, whereby there is a uniform distribution of the compressive forces over this upper structure. The thrust device is further provided with a lower arm which is arranged to bear against a plate which covers the upper layers or courses of the lower oven structure.

ln accordance with a further object of the invention at least one compression spring is arranged between the thrust device and the nut on the said auxiliary tie, the loading of this spring being maintained constant, whilst observing the differential expansion when the oven heats up, by appropriate loosening of the nut.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a broken vertical cross-sectional view through the oven battery in its un-heated. condition.

Figure 2 is a detail showing on a larger scale a thrust device which is connected to an auxiliary tie, part of the oven being shown in vertical cross section Ias it appears after heating.

Figure 3 is a partial horizontal cross section through one side of an oven battery, this view being taken on the line illlll of Figure 2,

The coke oven battery comprises a clay-bonded lower structure, generally denoted 1, which extends downwards to a point below the horizontal rich gas channels 2, and an upperstructure 3 which is composed of silica.

Located in the upper structure 3 are the oven chambers 4, these having heating walls, not shown in the drawing, arranged between them. The lower structure 1 embodies regenerators 5 which are defined by partition walls (not illustrated).

Auxiliary braces or ties 6 are passed through the rich gas channels 2 before the oven is heated to its operating temperature and each of these is engaged, at each of its ends, against a thrust device and through compression spring means 7 and a nut 8 which threads on the ends Each thrust device 9 comprises a pair of parallel channel irons and carries, at its upper and lower ends respectively, arms 10 and 11. Of these the arm 10 is rigid with the device 9 and is arranged to bear against the upper courses, generally denoted 25, of the claybonded lower structure, with the intermediary of a thrust plate 12.

The "upper arm il of each device 9 bears against the outstanding flange '14 ofthe door frame 13, which latter is of angle form in horizontal cross section. To this end the arm 11 is of tubular construction and has a screw bolt 15 passing therethrough, this bolt having a head 16 -whic'hextends through a longitudinal slot vin the armouring 17 of the oven and is engaged behind the latter, and fa ,nut 18 adjustable on its other end and tightened against a plate 29 ofthe thrust device 9.

The tubular arm 11 of the thrust device 9 is applied against the .door frame. 13 through platesprings 26 which, in turn, bear against an enlarged projection 32 of the limb .14 of the door frame 13. The screw bolt 15 passes through this projection 32.

After the oven has heated up, the thrustdevice 9 and .the auxiliary tie ..6 .are removed. .The screw bolt 15 is uthen replaced by a screwbolt (not shown in the drawings), which forces Jthelimb 14 of the door frame 13 against thearmouring 17, this screw bolt carrying a nut vwhich is applied. against the projection 32 and the plate springs 26. This securement of the door frame is effected during the heating up of the oven by the screw bolts 15, so that the usual doorcan close during this heating period.

Buckstays 19 are arranged over the complete height of vthe oven masonry, vthese :being held applied against the masonry by tie bars 20 arranged at the upper and lower ends.

:Figure il illustrates the oven battery before heating.. As lwill be seen from this, the upper and lower oven structures are so constructed that in this unheated condition they are flush with one another along the longitudinal sides of the oven battery. With this oven battery construction the upper structure of silica expands more yquickly than the lower structure of clay-bonded material so that, as can be seen from Figure 2, in the nally ex- '.panded condition, i. e. in the operating status, a differential expansion has occurred of an amount indicated at a in this figure. As a result, fat the end of the expansion,

`the .thrust device 9 is inclined as illustrated in Figure 2.

-a 'domed face can be disposed between the tubular arm -11 `of the thrust device 9 and a plate 31 applied against this -thrust device.

During the differential expansion of the upper struc- -ture, the nut 8 on -the auxiliary tie 6 is loosened, taking into account the elasticity of the compression spring 7, suchwise that the distance between the bearing surface ofthe spring 7 against `the curved plate 21 and the lower Aface'of the nut'S, or of a washer 23 which may be provided between the nut and spring 7, remains constant.

The nuts on the Vtie bars 20 of the buckstays 19 can Asimilarly be loosened, as the expansion develops, so that the masonry is continuously kept under the same degree of ftension.

Moreover, as the expansion proceeds, that of the lower oven structure lag behind that of the upper structure and the spacing between the surfaces thereof, which in the end condition represents an amount a as referred to above, is compensated by the auxiliary braces 2li which =are supported against the main buckstays 19 and which are pressed by sets crews 28 against the lower oven structure, the set screws 28 being adjusted in accordance with the differential expansion.

Iclaim: l. 11n a coke oven battery having an upper structure of silica and a lower structure of refractory material,

'bracing means applied against the sides thereof, auxiliary tie means passing completely through the battery in the 4 region between the oven sole level and the joint between said upper and lower structures and extending outwardly from each side of the battery, a thrust device fulcrumed to tilt on each said tie means at each end part thereof at opposite sides of the battery, each said thrust device carrying parts disposed on opposite sides of its fulcrum and bearing respectively against the lower part of the corre- 1 sponding side of said upper structure and of the upper part of said lower structure, and adjustable means for adjusting the fulcrum relative to the battery wall.

2. In la coke oven battery having an upper structure of silica and a lower structure of refractory material, bracing means applied against the 'sides thereof, said battery having-horizontal rich gas channels formed therein below the oven sole level and above the joint between said upper and lower structures, auxiliary tie means passing removably through said rich gas channels and extending completely through the battery to project outside each side `of ,the-battery, a thrust device fulcrumed to tilt on each said tie means at each end part thereof at opposite sides of the battery, each said thrust device carrying parts `dispo-sed on opposie sides of its fulcrum and bearing respectively against the lower part of the corresponding side Of said upper structure and of the upper part of said lower structure7 and means urging the fulcrum for each l thrust device inwards against the battery wall.

3. In a cokeoven'battery having an upper structure of silica and a lower structure of refractory material, bracing means applied against the sides thereof, auxiliary tie means passing through the battery between the oven sole level and the joint ybetween said upper and lower structures and extending outwardly from each side of the battery, a thrust device at each end part of each said tie means, said thrust device carrying parts bearing respectively against the corresponding side of said upper structure and of Lthe .upper part of said lower structure, nuts adjustable on each of the outstanding end parts of said tie means and urging the associated thrust device inwards against the battery wall, said thrust device being adapted 40 for rocking see-saw fashion on its auxiliary tie means.

4. In a coke oven battery having an upper structure of silica and a lower structure of refractory material, an armouring mounted on the outer face of the longitudinal walls of the battery at the upper structure thereof, door frames mounted against said armouring, bracing means applied against said armouring, auxiliary tie means passing through the battery between the oven sole level and the joint between said upper and lower structures and extending outwardly from each side of the battery, a thrust device at each end part of each said tie means, said thrust device carrying a iirst member bearing against the corresponding door frame, means adjustable on each of the outstanding end parts of said tie means and urging the associated thrust device inwards against the battery wall,

,and in which'said first membercomprises a tubularsleeve which is disposed between the thrust device and the door frame, and in which a bolt engaged between the oppo- -sitely-facing sides of said armouring and thrust device passes through said sleeve.

5. A coke oven battery as defined in claim 4, and in which said sleeve has a curved bearing face seated against the thrust member.

6. In a colse oven battery having an upper structure of silica and a lower structure of refractory material, an

armouring mounted on the outer face of the longitudinal walls of the battery at the upper structure thereof, door frames mounted against said armouring, bracing means applied against said armouring, auxiliary tie means passing completely through the battery in the region between the oven sole level and the joint between said upper and lower structures and extending outwardly from each side ofthe battery, a thrust device fulcrumed to tilt on each said tie means at each end part thereof at opposite sides ofthe battery, each saidfthrust device comprising arms disposed on opposite sides of said fulcrum with one arm bearing against the upper part of the lower structure and the other arm carrying a member bearing against the corresponding door frame, and adjustable means for urging the fulcrum and its arms inwards towards the battery wall.

7. In a coke oven battery having an upper structure of silica and a lower structure of refractory material, bracing means applied against the sides thereof, auxiliary tie means passing through the battery between the oven sole level and the joint between said upper and lower structures and extending outwardly from each side of the battery, a thrust device at each end part of each said tie means, said thrust device carrying parts bearing respectively against the corresponding side of said upper structure and of the upper part of said lower structure, nuts adjustable on each of the outstanding end parts of said tie means and urging the associated thrust device inwards against the battery wall, compression spring means between each said nut and the thrust device, said thrust device being adapted for rocking see-saw fashion on the auxiliary tie means.

8. In a coke oven battery having an upper structure of silica and alower structure of refractory material, bracing means applied against the sides thereof, auxiliary tie rods passing through said battery between the oven sole level and the joint between said upper and lower struc- 25 thrust device on one side of said nut and bearing against the upper battery structure, a second lateral member secured to another part of said thrust device on the other side of the nut on said tie rod and bearing against the upper part of the lower battery structure.

9. In a coke oven battery having an upper structure of silica and a lower structure of refractory material, bracing means applied against the sides thereof, auxiliary tie rods passing through said battery, a thrust device carried at each end of each said tie rod and extending heightwise of the battery, a nut adjustable on this end of the tie rod outwardly of the thrust device and urging the latter inwards towards the battery, a rst member secured to said thrust device and bearing against the upper battery structure, a seucond member secured to said thrust device at a part thereof on the other side of said tie rod and bearing against the upper part of the lower battery structure, and in which an element having a curved bearing surface is disposed on the tie rod between the nut and thrust device with its curved bearing surface applied against said device, whereby said thrust device is pivotably adjustable on said tie rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,147,681 Van Ackeren Feb. 21, 1939 2,641,575 Otto Iune 9, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 395,292 Great Britain July 13, 1933 579,268 Great Britain July 29, 1946 667,563 Great Britain Mar. 2, 1952 513,468 Belgium Aug. 30, 1952 

3. IN A COKE OVEN BATTERY HAVING AN UPPER STRUCTURE OF SILICA AND A LOWER STRUCTURE OF REFRACTORY MATERIAL BRACING MEANS APPLIED AGAINST THE SIDES THEREOF, AUXILIARY TIE MEANS PASSING THROUGH THE BATTERY BETWEEN THE OVEN SOLE LEVEL AND THE JOINT BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER STRUCTURES AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM EACH SIDE OF THE BATTERY, A THUST DEVICE AT EACH END PART OF EACH SAID TIE MEANS, SAID THRUST DEVICE CARRYING PARTS BEARING RESPECTIVELY AGAINST THE CORRESPONDING SIDE OF SAID UPPER STRUCTURE AND OF THE UPPER PART OF SAID LOWER STRUCTURE, NUTS ADJUSTABLE ON EACH OF THE OUTSTANDING END PARTS OF SAID TIE MEANS AND URGING THE ASSOCIATED THRUST DEVICE INWARDS AGAINST THE BATTERY WALL, SAID THRUST DEVICE BEING ADAPTED FOR ROCKING SEE-SAW FASHION ON ITS AUXILIARY TIE MEANS. 